SPECIAL MIRACLE: 3 Missing Texas Girls Found Alive in a Hollow Tree 1 Mile From Camp β They Survived Nearly 10 Days Thanks to These 2 Thingsβ¦
In a moment being hailed as one of theΒ most extraordinary survival stories in U.S. history, three of the 27 girls missing after the Texas flood disaster wereΒ found aliveΒ Sunday afternoon β inside theΒ hollow trunk of a massive oak tree, one mile from the devastated Camp Wrenwood.
Rescuers say the girls had taken shelter inside the ancient treeΒ for nearly 10 days, surviving with onlyΒ rainwater and their own instincts. Medical officials call itΒ a miracle of endurance, faith, and sisterhood.
The Discovery: A Chance Path, a Faint Cry
Searchers werenβt even looking in that direction when aΒ volunteer hikerΒ heard a faint noise coming from the base of a collapsed tree. Thinking it was an animal, she cautiously approached β and instead heard a weak voice cry:
βWeβre hereβ¦ please donβt leave.β
Within minutes, emergency crews uncoveredΒ three young girls, aged 8β10, curled together inside aΒ partially hollowed trunk, wrapped in wet towels and using a broken shoelace to secure the treeβs bark as a door flap.
ow They Survived: 2 Key Factors
Doctors say the girls βΒ Emily Rivera,Β Zoey Nash, andΒ Hope LinΒ β survived due to:
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Rainwater Drain-Off Catchment
The girls placed plastic wrappers from their lunch kits in a V-shape at the base of the hollow to collect rain.βThey drank from leaves and wrung their shirts into their mouths,β said Dr. Mia Lang, part of the rescue triage.
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A Pre-Camp Safety Drill
Just days before the flood, counselors had run aΒ wilderness shelter exercise, which all three girls remembered.βThey said, βwe copied what we learned β stay dry, stay together, stay quiet,ββ a paramedic shared.
heir Words: βWe thought no one was comingβ¦ but we believed in each otherβ
One rescuer says the girls wereΒ calm but emotional, repeatedly whispering,
βWe kept talking about our moms. That helped.β
They had scratches, signs of early dehydration, and were covered in insect bites β butΒ no life-threatening injuries.
The Nation Reacts: βThis is Americaβs Hope Storyβ
As the news broke, tears streamed at the family base camp. One mother collapsed to her knees. Entire towns have begun ringing church bells, while hashtags likeΒ #HollowTreeHeroes,Β #3StrongGirls, andΒ #FaithFoundThemΒ trend nationwide.
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βTen days. No fire. No food. Just bravery.β
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βThey saved each other. We will never forget these girls.β
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